John Johnson joins from Middlesbrough

John Johnson 20 year old, why another defender?

GRAVY

Holmes must be @#$%& livid. It's an absolute joke just give the lad a go.

Whilst i think hes a good signing, this is so harsh on Danny!

sign a fukin striker!

Expected this to happen after Moore's comments last week but like Matt I still really don't see why.

Holmes deserves more of a chance although after him the choices for right-back would be Edds and Antwi which wouldn't fill me with confidence to be honest.

We now have four @#$%& right-backs. This is one of the biggest mistakes he's made

While I'm happy enough to use the loan system to strengthen the team, this is a pointless signing and a complete waste of money, as far as I'm aware, signing a player even on loan commands an agents fee and the wages we'll be paying for 4 right backs for the next week is absurd in my opinion. I would agree with Dani that we could do with a striker at the moment. I saw earlier today that Richard Langley had been without a club since leaving Luton and that he signed for Bristol Rovers, we've been severeley lacking goals and Langley would definitely have got them at this level, definitely an opportunity missed. It is so frustrating given that bad defending didn't cost us at Yeovil, lack of chances did. Regardless of available resources, there were a lot of good free transfers around in the summer which I feel we failed to capitalise on. With a squad as small as ours, we can't have as many weak links as we have. Anyway, I digress, I just think that it's fairly obvious that our problem in recent matches hasn't been in defence, it's been up front. I can't work this out but in the last 7 games, haven't we only conceded 2 goals? Why sign another defender then? In the last 5 games or so, how many have we scored? I feel really sorry for Danny Holmes, from what I've seen of him, he's better than Edds at right back, I've nothing against Edds other than the fact that in my opinion we have better youths who he is keeping out of the side for reasons which are beyond me. I hope I'm missing something here as this signing is ridiculous.

I normally hate it when people moan about new signings but I was surprised when we signed Shotton in the first place and can't see the sense in this new signing either.

sign ur ma dani

the reason he's signed him is because he doesnt think holmes is good enough to play and its exactly the same reason he signed shotton becasue he knows holmes aint good enough

How can you know someone isn't good enough if you haven't given them chance to play in the first team? Having seen some of Ronnie's signings playing in the first team, I feel I KNOW a number of them aren't good enough. Don't get me wrong, I'm not moaning that we've signed someone, I just feel it's a signing in the wrong area again. I would also prefer Ronnie to make use of our own youth system which is costing so much to run only to be neglected in favour of Stoke, Liverpool, Middlesborough, Blackburn etc's youth systems. I'm sure we have enough quality in the youth setup here to drop one of them in for a few matches, they'll either sink or swim. From what I hear, Holmes did ok on Saturday but Ronnie has replaced him with someone else already rather than sticking by him. I just don't think that sends a very good message to other youngsters coming through the ranks.

of course he can know somebody aint good enough, nobody is complainging that he he hasnt dropped goodison for ash taylor or savage for josh macauley so why play holmes when ronnie obvisouly doesnt feel he is ready.

i agree holmes is a good player and will probably be a success in the next 2 years but i think this is a good signing!

I totally agree Stanj and saying about the 'moaning' wasn't a dig at you.

To compare dropping Goodison for Ash Taylor is ludicrous as clearly there is an opportunity at right-back for Holmes to capitalise on whereas at centre-back there isn't as much of an opening at the moment.

People who say Holmes isn't good enough have barely anything to base it on to be fair either.

Yeah I know Sub it wasn't a dig don't worry. I agree there is an opportunity at right back that is likely to pass Holmes by because Ronnie won't give him a chance. Sometimes people need to be given a chance, especially as his career could be at stake, I genuinely feel he deserves his chance.

I am gutted for Danny Holmes. I was really looking forward to seeing him finally get a chance to impress and show what he is capable.

One game he has played for the first team and you say he isn't good enough?

The lad is 19 and he has proved at EVERY level he's played at that he is capable of playing in the first team, and by all accounts was good on Saturday too.

He wants to play for us, he's a Tranmere lad. He wants the club to do well and he wants to do well for the club, but again the manager's baffling use of the youngsters and reserves is stiffling a players career.